Who Scored Big in Week 15 of SNL's Relevancy Poll?

There was really no rhyme or reason to this week's Saturday Night Live in terms of cast member airtime. Taran Killam and Bill Hader (suprise!) both had huge nights while Paul Brittain -- who, in the past, shared the second-fiddle roles with Killam -- was nowhere to be found. In other words, if a cast member was in more than one sketch, he or she was used in, it seems, almost every sketch. The result was a very top-heavy night during which it seemed almost half of the cast sat on the sidelines.

The NRFPTP Relevancy Poll is driven by a proprietary algorithm involving such factors as quality airtime. If your results differ, let's hear about it in the comments.


snl_poll_paul_brittain120.jpg1. Taran Killam (Last Week: 11) Kind of quietly, Killam had a huge week: supporting roles in "George Washington," "Royal Taster," "Livin' Single," "Spider-Man Lawsuit" and provided the only funny moment in "Vacation Giveaway." Oh, yeah, then there was that spot on Eminem impression. Knife!


snl_poll_paul_brittain120.jpg2. Bill Hader (Last Week: 7)

Yes, Stefon was back, even though Hader's character "breaks" are starting to look a little planned. But his performance in "British Movie" and "Royal Taster" were two highlights of the night.


snl_poll_paul_brittain120.jpg3. Fred Armisen (Last Week: 3) Solid night for Armisen. His Hosni Mubarak was better this time than his first attempt a few weeks ago. "Spider-Man Lawsuit" would have been the sketch of the night most other weeks if not for "British Movie," in which Armisen also starred.


snl_poll_paul_brittain120.jpg4. Vanessa Bayer (Last Week: 13)

Bayer scored with a starring role in "Livin' Single" and during the week off will no doubt be contemplating Miley Cyrus sketch ideas. Also, "Did Frank Gublin get me a settlement? Why don't you ask my new Spider-Man hat?"


snl_poll_paul_brittain120.jpg5. Seth Meyers (Last Week: 5) What people never mention about Hader's Stefon is that, without Meyers deadpan straight man, it doesn't work. There's a reason why Stefon is an "Update" segment and not it's own sketch. Meyers should get more credit for his role in the Stefon empire.


snl_poll_paul_brittain120.jpg6. Jay Pharoah (Last Week: 10)

I give up. It seems that, at least for this season, Pharoah is going to be the go-to impression guy and not much else. Which, I suppose, is fine for now as long as the impressions -- like Lil Wayne this week -- continue to be good.


snl_poll_paul_brittain120.jpg7. Jason Sudeikis (Last Week: 14) Hey, it was great to see Sudeikis in the cold open. It wasn't so great to not see Sudeikis again until the last sketch of the night. With Sudeikis' being used on SNL less and less and with his film career flourishing, I wouldn't be too surprised to see Sudeikis leave the show at the end of the season.


snl_poll_paul_brittain120.jpg8. Kristen Wiig (Last Week: 8)

For some reason Wiig decided to replay, almost line for line, her "Vacation Getaway" sketch. Then again, repetition is Wiig's thing; so be it. Other than that, her only other appearance of note was during "George Washington."


snl_poll_paul_brittain120.jpg9. Andy Samberg (Last Week: 2)

Other than "A Spot of Tea," Samberg was pretty much MIA during the show.


snl_poll_paul_brittain120.jpg10. Nasim Pedrad (Last Week: 9) Pedrad's role on SNL is concerning: She had a terrific start to this season, but, as of late, it's very rare to see her in the top half of this list. After playing an assistant in the cold open and delivering the kicker in "British Movie," Pedrad pretty much disappeared for the rest of the night.


snl_poll_paul_brittain120.jpg11. Bobby Moynihan (Last Week: 12) Slow night for Moynihan, but his deadpan excitement over some additional Spider-Man tickets was a good line.


snl_poll_paul_brittain120.jpg12. Kenan Thompson (Last Week: 12)

Outside of a small role in "Vacation Giveaway," not much going on for Kenan this week.


snl_poll_paul_brittain120.jpg13. Abby Elliott (Last Week: 4)

I guess it was too much to ask that Elliott have back-to back good weeks. Practically invisible this week.


snl_poll_paul_brittain120.jpg14. Paul Brittain (Last Week: 1)

What the hell happened here? How did Killam wind up with a role in practically every sketch but Brittain was unheard of tonight?



Comments

  • metroville says:

    You take Saturday Night Live very personally, Mike. We're getting worried about you.

  • Mike Ryan says:

    Thanks for the concern, it's probably warranted.

  • Geoff says:

    Pharaoh should be a couple spots lower, and Elliott a couple spots higher (she had more than both Moynihan and Thompson, as far as I can remember), but otherwise a pretty accurate list. Killam and Hader stole the show. Bill Hader really is the star of SNL right now. Consistently the funniest, and I would argue, most versatile.

  • Fabe says:

    Yeah I don't understand how Kenan and Bobby are above Abby? They only appeared once. She appeared in two sketches. It's not like they're parts were better quality or anything. I don't know, that doesn't make sense to me.

  • Jenny says:

    Yeah. Why isn't Abby Elliott two spots higher? She did more.

  • razi says:

    Has abby elliot had even ONE funny moment this whole season...how'd she become a regular?...btw you seem to hate Wigg but she's been the star of SNL the last couple years until her movie career cut into her SNL time...stop hatin!

  • Ingrid says:

    Taran Killam is a pretty funny guy, so the top spot is well deserved. He is my favorite of the new featured players. Brittain and Bayer are good too.
    I wish the writers finally figured out what to do with Pharoah, so he got more airtime. He seems to be really funny, so it's frustrating not to see him more.
    Unfortunately, Abby is dead weight lately, and Sudeikis and Wiig seem to be doing more interesting stuff in movies than on SNL. They should all leave at the end of the season.
    Hader and Armisen are the current stars.

  • Matt L. says:

    I like Abby Elliott the most out of the whole cast. She's not dead weight. I like her Meryl Streep impression, her Angelina Jolie, her new Diedra Wurtz character, that Skins sketch she did, Anna Faris, Joan Cusack, Chole Kardashian etc.!Come on people. Get it together.

  • Ingrid says:

    This is what I mean by dead weight: she is never on screen, and when she is she is barely memorable. I can't recall a single one of the roles/impressions you mention.

  • Scraps says:

    You should do an all time SNL relevancy poll. Everyone who's ever been on the show, rank them! And try to do it in one afternoon.

  • Kristen says:

    I will be very, very, very sad when Jason Sudeikis leaves SNL.

  • APNDR says:

    Wait a second... Stefon WAS a separate sketch!!!! On the Ben Affleck show in 2008. He and his brother (Affleck) were pitching script ideas to two movie execs, and for every nice, normal family plotline that Affleck came up with, Stefon had something "that, frankly, sounds like a gay man's nightmare." Fantastic sketch. At least I thought so.
    But you're right -- Stefon needs a straight man to really work.

  • Fab says:

    Sorry, but if you don't find her Angelina or Meryl memorable, then I would propose checking your memory card. Abby is underused, but definitely not dead weight.

  • Lena says:

    She became a regular because she has a lot of great potential. She is often underused because Wiig is so overused. Abby and Nasim are always in the background in Wiig sketches. Anyway, I think Abby is great. Oh and she has had many funny moments this season. You probably just don't have a great sense of humor.